Wherever your travels may take you around the world you’ll probably want to keep the fun and excitement of placing a bet on your favorite markets, but it’s important to know where you can and can’t place a bet. Having constant access to the internet from our mobile phones and tablets makes it easier than ever to place a bet remotely and on the move with bookmakers in the UK, but once you travel elsewhere it becomes a lot more complicated.
The laws of gambling are individual to each country and they change from one to the next, so some bookmakers are live in some countries and some are not depending on if they have decided to meet the regulations of a specific country or applied for a special license. So, if you travel abroad and your favourite bookmaker is unavailable there is a chance it is because of the change in gambling laws, but there is also a chance that it is down to the bookmaker itself.
Across Europe there is no standardised regulations with regards to betting, so you will still have to double check if the country you’re visiting has the capability to allow you to gamble. The majority of gambling methods and markets are widely available in the larger European countries, such as France, Italy, Germany and Spain through the major bookmakers from the UK.
The larger bookmakers tend to have the greater reach in terms of countries available to bet in with some available across up to 70 countries. However there are still some areas where it is not allowed. Across the Middle East, online gambling is deemed illegal is outlawed in the countries India, Lebanon, Brunei, Kuwait and Qatar. Pakistan and Bangladesh also have the vast majority of online gambling banned apart from wagering on horse races; it is also surprising to see that online gambling is banned in the United Arab Emirates despite being home to some of the richest events on the horse racing calendar.
Across the pond in the United States, gambling laws are a little bit more complicated, with up to three different governing departments, local, state and federal. Despite travelling to and being in one country, the legislation can change from town to town, city to city and state to state. The majority of American legislation with regards to online betting was drawn up before the explosion of the internet into a household staple, so it is murky water trying to find out if it is indeed legal or illegal. Many acts introduced in the US have tried to prohibit players from depositing and withdrawing money through the bank, however there are other ways to do this including pre-paid cards and wire transfers, but the majority of them are aimed at the bookmakers themselves rather than the players. It appears that whilst online betting is possible it is best to double check with the most local regulations of the place that you are travelling to.
It is very easy and quick to check which countries will be available to bet in with your UK bookmaker and it is best to do this before you travel to avoid any unwanted hassle.
